updated 03:45 pm EDT, Thu April 15, 2010

MPAA and RIAA hope users turn in themselves

The MPAA and RIAA have sent a response to the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator that would call for software to spy on users for potential piracy. Answering a request for comments, the music and movie studios would like antivirus software to include tools for "managing copyright infringement" and block or report copyrighted material it finds.

The submission would also call for familiar but equally aggressive tactics, such as encouraging Internet providers to automatically filter connections, the US government to randomly inspect electronics going over the border, and to put pressure on companies that don't follow US copyright laws by threatening to make piracy a central issue of talks. Studios would even want police agencies to work on their behalf by timing their plans around major movie releases.

All the comments aren't binding and won't necessarily result in action by the IPEC. However, they combined show the MPAA and RIAA calling for an approach that potentially violates privacy by searching a user's specific computer or portable device, in some cases without consent. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and other critics are also concerned that the studios want the government to give them special treatment and have already been attempting to skirt around public opposition, such as by keeping Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations secret despite Europe-wide resistance.

bad moves

Take down the torrent sites sure. Scan usenet for share groups and nix them, sure. Ask ISPs to throttle down speeds on the heaviest users, why not. Heck support theaters that prohibit cell phones etc to be taken into theaters and require bag checks (secured of course) certainly

but asking the government and such to Big Brother, no way. Piracy is no reason for mass invasion of privacy.

This can only mean one thing

This really can only mean we'll see an increase in viruses if this ever goes through. That or the companies that don't do anti piracy checking will see their usage increase, while those with Piracy checking AV will post record setting losses.

When I was on windows and pirating, the only thing I did pay for was AV, because you could never be too careful.

pointless

The AV companies will never do this, because, correctly, they will state it isn't their business to scan for copyright infringement.

And if the RIAA/MPAA really want to tackle it, they should insist that every OS has such things built in. Not that they OS makers would do it (yeah, just try to get that onto Linux!), but every computer has an OS, where every computer doesn't run AV

But I thought....

Jesus-loving Apple folk don't pirate software? They're all wholesome and pure like the iMachines they use. There's no need for AV software with anti-piracy features. C'mon, get your head out of your iButt.